Summer qualifiers for Reds

The season may be over, but a number of Reds will be in international action over the coming weeks before heading off on their summer holidays.

United have four representatives in the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers with Kazakhstan and Andorra. Gary Neville has been recalled by Fabio Capello, while Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney are also included.

Meanwhile, strikers Danny Welbeck and Fraizer Campbell, as well as goalkeeper Tom Heaton, who spent the season on loan at Cardiff, have been named in Stuart Pearce's squad for the Under-21 European Championships in June. Federico Macheda has been picked in Italy's provisional squad for the tournament in Sweden with Zoran Tosic included in Serbia's squad.

Nemanja Vidic is named in the Serbian senior team for the World Cup qualifiers at home to Austria and away to the Faroe Islands, while John O'Shea and Darron Gibson are in the Republic of Ireland squad for the qualifier away to Dimitar Berbatov's Bulgarian side on 6 June.

On the same night, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani travel with Portugal for the qualifier in Albania, while Carlos Tevez's Argentina take on Colombia in Buenos Aires, before a trip to Ecuador four days later.

It looks like being a busy summer for Ji-sung Park who is likely to be involved in all three of South Korea's qualifiers against United Arab Emirates (6 June), Saudi Arabia (10 June) and Iran (17 June).

Time for perspective

ManUtd.com’s Ben Hibbs challenges the idea that the Reds must make sweeping changes this summer, but proposes a positional switch for Wayne Rooney…

I heard a multitude of reasons, from various people – ex-players, journalists, fans – as to why United lost in Rome on Wednesday. The natural reaction to defeat in such a big game is to go overboard with analysis, hence why today’s newspapers are filled with tales of another rebuilding job.

Three months ago United were the greatest team on the planet, an unstoppable force. Everyone thinks they know best when the team loses. My take, for what it’s worth, was that United were a bit unlucky to concede after dominating the first ten minutes, but once Barcelona were in front, they were excellent with the ball, we weren’t. They performed on the night, we didn’t.

I don’t believe mass changes are needed this summer – let’s not forget that United were a poor penalty decision in the FA Cup (and then of course a final with Chelsea) and one good Champions League display away from a potential quintuple. This is far from a disaster, even though the in-depth post-mortems would have you think it was.

There were two points keenly debated on the plane home from Rome that got me thinking about next season and whether United’s approach could change. The first, was United’s midfield. One journalist I was sat next talked about the midfielders we could – or rather could not – sign this summer, saying that he thought our midfield was the third best in England behind Liverpool’s and Chelsea’s.

But looking at the constituent parts, United have excellent players; Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Owen Hargreaves, Anderson, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs. But we need a fit Hargreaves, and Anderson, who will be a wonderful player, to add the maturity and consistency that comes with age. I don’t think United need to add anyone in the middle, but that brings me to my second point: Wayne Rooney’s position.

There have been times when playing Rooney out wide on the left has worked a treat this season – the interchanging front three against Arsenal in Europe were a prime example – and it’s still an option. Don’t get me wrong, when I chose the team I wanted to play against Barcelona, I had Rooney wide left. But as we saw with Liverpool, their positional experimentation with Steven Gerrard eventually led to bringing him infield, and I think Rooney will eventually follow suit and play behind the main striker.

Cristiano Ronaldo gets the individual accolades – deservedly so – because he’s capable of match-winning moments of magic, but I think Rooney is the key man for United. The team can play badly and Ronaldo can get a goal to win a game; but when Rooney plays well, United play well. He is the player I would build my team around. So, if United were to dip into the transfer market this summer, I’d rather see us go for a left winger.

You could take the media’s speculation about rebuilding as a mark of respect for United’s high standards, but it strikes me as a knee-jerk reaction; I bow to Sir Alex’s superiority. He knows better than anyone what's needed, I just hope that includes bringing Rooney into a central position where he can cause maximum devastation.
The views expressed in this blog are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Manchester United FC.

Papers: Time to rebuild

Tevez, Nani and Park set to be ditched
Sir Alex Ferguson will reshape his humiliated Manchester United squad after their Champions League debacle against Barcelona. Shell-shocked Fergie has decided he will not take up the option to buy Carlos Tevez, while Nani and Ji-Sung Park could also be high-profile victims of the Rome drubbing. The United manager believes Lyon’s Karim Benzema represents better value for money than Tevez – and to meet Lyon’s £30million asking price there will be fall guys. Nani has failed to impress in his second season at United, while Park may be sacrificed so Fergie can bring in Wigan’s £15m-rated midfielder Antonio Valencia, a long-term target. Goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak is on his way out this summer after failing to impress in three years, with Fergie keen to give England goalkeeper Ben Foster more first-team opportunities next season. United will not take up the option to buy Tevez unless the player’s advisers, led by Kia Joorabchian, lower their asking price by a third to around £18m.
David McDonnell & John Cross, The Mirror

Meanwhile, The Sun claim Cristiano Ronaldo is about to "throw Manchester United into turmoil and demand a move out of Old Trafford". If he does, The Express believe he won't be going to Real Madrid. The paper report Madrid have stopped their pursuit of the Reds winger.

There's some surprising news in The Guardian and The Mail, with claims that Paul Scholes is considering a player-coach role at Stoke City. Scholes has recently admitted he would relish the challenge of management in the future.

Reds will challenge again

We've reached the end of yet another successful and exciting campaign for the Reds - and now is the time to secure your seat at Old Trafford next season.

In 2008/09, United picked up the Carling Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and an 18th title with Premier League success. And United are now inviting all Season Ticket holders to renew their seat for the 2009/10 season.

Season Tickets can be renewed immediately, although holders must renew before 14 June to secure your seat for next season. Renew online at manutd.com/strenewals. Please be sure to take note of your personal details as they appear at the top of your renewal letter - they will be needed when renewing online. Season Ticket holders must keep hold of their current access cards as these will be credited for the new season upon renewal.

The Club have made significant improvements to the online processes over the course of this season, so fans are advised to take advantage of this service as the phone lines can get extremely busy during the renewal period. What’s more, everyone who renews before the 14 June deadline will be entered into an exclusive prize draw to win one of three superb prizes:

1st Prize: Your Season Ticket paid for the season! (Premier League games only)
2nd Prize: Hospitality for two at the first home league game of the season.
3rd Prize: Win one of three home shirts signed by the first team squad.

Season Ticket prices have risen by £1 per game, which means Season Ticket holders will pay £19 more on top of last year’s price for Premier League home matches. Season Ticket holders will again be entitled to opt-out of purchasing a ticket for League Cup home matches next season. (View 09/10 Season Ticket Prices here).

Junior Season Ticket holders will be entitled to opt-out of all home Cup matches, whilst both junior and senior Season Ticket holders will still be able to upgrade to a full adult ticket for all home cup matches.

We have made alternative payment options available for the coming season which can help spread the cost of paying for your Season Ticket. The booklet which was enclosed with the renewal letters contains offers from MU Finance and Zebra Finance.

Finally, please note that due to the regulations of cup competitions, Season Ticket holders in the following areas of the ground may not be allocated their usual seats for home cup matches: (i) East Stand, Tier 2; (ii) South Stand, Blocks S121 to S127 and S226 to S228; and (iii) front two rows of East & West Stands, Lower. Affected supporters will be allocated alternative seats and will be charged the same price as, or less than, their usual seats (depending on the price bands of the alternative seats). Other Season Ticket holders should be allocated their usual seats for home cup matches, save in exceptional circumstances. Please refer to the Season Ticket terms and conditions for further details.

The Club would like to take this opportunity to thank all Season Ticket holders for their loyal support and look forward to welcoming you to Old Trafford again next season.

Reds will challenge again

It was painful for the Reds to concede the European title to Barcelona, but Edwin van der Sar is certain that United will be back challenging again next year.

The Reds didn’t ever reach the performance levels the team is capable of, and a possession-rich Barcelona capitalised with goals from Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi.

“We are all really disappointed with the performance and the result,” said Edwin.

“It was a bad first goal to concede and after that we suffered a little bit and we couldn’t get back into playing our game. Barcelona kept possession very well.

"After the first goal it just all seemed to go wrong for us. We seemed to be under pressure, even when we had the ball. It was just one of those nights when things didn't go so well for us and everything they tried seemed to come off."

There were certainly no sour grapes and, for what little consolation it is, United emerged with dignity for accepting the best team won on the night.

“You have to give Barcelona credit,” added the Reds' goalkeeper.

“They have won the European title so they are now the best team in Europe. They played very well, and all we can do is try to do better next year.”

18 Reasons: Part 1

United are champions of England for a record-equalling 18th time! Here are 18 reasons why, in no particular order...



1. The reinvention of Ryan
When he finally hangs up his boots, Ryan Giggs will be remembered as one of the best left wingers to ever play the game. But this term he’s been inspirational in the centre of midfield, where his cool head and ability to pick the perfect pass has done untold damage to opposition defences. His form wasn’t lost on his fellow professionals, either: in May he was voted the PFA Players’ Player of the Year.



2. That boy Macheda
Every 17-year old dreams of scoring an injury-time winner on his debut in front of the Stretford End, but Federico Macheda actually did it. With time slipping away against Aston Villa, the Italian took one exquisite touch before curling an unstoppable shot past Brad Friedel and into the far corner. Cue pandemonium in the stands as the teenager became an instant hero. And as if that wasn’t enough, six days later he came off the bench again to score the winner at Sunderland. Magnifico!



3. He comes from Serbia
Hotly tipped to win United’s Player of the Season award, Nemanja Vidic has been outstanding this term. He was the only constant feature of the Reds’ back four during the record-breaking clean-sheet run and also chipped in with valuable goals at the other end (remember Sunderland at home in the last minute?). Of course, he’ll want to forget Liverpool’s opening goal at OT, but that mistake merely proved he’s human after all...



4. Keeping it clean
You don’t win football matches if the opposition score more goals, so the best platform you can give yourself is to keep a clean sheet. The Reds did just that in 14 consecutive league games between 8 November and 18 February, setting a new English record in the process. In fact, by the time Blackburn’s Roque Santa Cruz poked the ball past Tomasz Kuszczak at OT, the Reds had gone 1334 minutes without conceding a league goal. The word “watertight” springs to mind.

5. Home rule
When Liverpool take stock of where it all went wrong they’ll probably point to the number of points dropped at Anfield (12 prior to the final day). But while Rafa’s men were drawing at home to the likes of Stoke and Fulham, United’s only Old Trafford wobbles came against Newcastle (1-1), Liverpool (1-4) and Arsenal (0-0, when a point won the title).

6. A day to forget
Most Reds would prefer to erase this fixture from their minds but there’s no denying the role it played in United’s title charge. Losing 4-1 at home to your biggest rivals is never enjoyable, but at least it brought everyone back down to earth at a time when some fans and members of the press were starting to think an 18th title was a mere formality. A timely reminder that you can’t take anything for granted in football.



7. Sharing it around
All successful teams contain at least one forward who bangs in goals for fun. For the Reds, Ronaldo and Rooney have hit the back of the net more than most, but they’re just two of 15 United players to get on the scoresheet in the league in 08/09. It’s a terrifying thought if you’re an opposition defender... and the perfect riposte to those critics at the beginning of the season who claimed the Reds relied too heavily on Ronaldo’s goals.

8. That winning feeling
Far from disrupt the Reds’ momentum, act as a distraction or tire players out, the trip to Japan in December for the FIFA Club World Cup simply energised United and made the players hungrier for more success. The returning world champions won 19 of the next 20 fixtures after touching down back in England, beginning with a gritty 1-0 win over Stoke City on Boxing Day.



9. The fab four
On more than one occasion this season Sir Alex has admitted to "selection headaches” when it comes to his forward line. Managers around the country often spend Friday afternoons sweating over the fitness or form of their star striker, but Sir Alex has the “luxury” of deciding who to leave out. Carlos Tevez offers industry and energy, Dimitar Berbatov sublime control and the ability to bring others into the game. Wayne Rooney feeds others as well as he finds the net himself, while Cristiano Ronaldo has proved he’s just as effective up front as he is on the wing. Of course, sometimes not even Sir Alex can choose and plays all four at once! Well, can you blame him?

The title race in quotes

The 2008/09 campaign can be most succinctly described by those closest to the action; here's our pick of the season's soundbites…

“The gaffer insists on good defending, but sometimes there's not much defending to do."
Jonny Evans shows his stargazing powers following the 3-0 win over Celtic in October. The Reds would soon embark on a British league-record 1,311-minute shutout

“It’s scary. You spend all week discussing tactics, but when a team is that good, you can’t do anything about it.”
Blackburn boss Paul Ince reflects on losing 2-0 at home to United in October

“Berbatov's play for the second goal was absolutely magnificent. You'd pay double the money to watch that."
Sir Alex marvels at the Bulgarian’s stupendous touchline wizardry against West Ham in October

“Once the prayer mats have been left in the dressing-room, it’ll be a case of defending in numbers, stubbornness, organisation, discipline and a lot of luck.”
Stoke’s Ricardo Fuller gives us the lowdown on Stoke City’s prep in November. United won 5-0

“I’ve been doodling on my pad, trying to see how I can fit all these players in. People ask me what I consider to be my best side, and the short answer is that I don’t have one.”
Sir Alex's oft-experienced selection headache ruins Christmas

“When you're in the tunnel and you hear on the speakers: ‘Please welcome the champions of England, the champions of Europe and the champions of the world...’ you believe that you're going to crush anybody that's in your way. I get goose bumps every time I walk out at Old Trafford.”
Dimitar Berbatov gets the sweetest chill in January

“He has a wonderful velvet touch; the ball goes stone dead when he gets it. In the midst of all the mayhem it's wonder to see."
Sir Alex lauds Paul Scholes on his 600th appearance for the Reds in April

“I probably wouldn’t have believed them if they’d said I’d play one game for United or score one goal. Numbers don’t really matter. I’ve just been lucky to play for a great club that happen to be my local club.”
Typical understatement from Scholes himself in April

“I don’t know about playing as well as I have done, that’s for other people to judge.”
And the jury was in favour. Ryan Giggs, shortly before being named PFA Player of the Year, for the first time, February

“Everyone thinks the money will make the job easier for Mark Hughes, but I don't."
Paddy Crerand looks into his crystal ball as the curtain opens on the new campaign

“At United, you learn from the best."
Kiko Macheda in November. His first examination at senior level was passed with flying colours five months down the line as his red arrow pierced Villa hearts.

“Scoring in front of the Stretford End is a dream for every boy from Manchester.”
Danny Welbeck reflects on his first United goal against Stoke in November

“Yes, we take terrible risks, but there's always a chance we'll win the match."
Sir Alex sums up the essence of Manchester United after the 3-2 win over Villa in April

“I did not think I would reach this level so quickly. But I always believed in my talent.”
The last word from Cristiano Ronaldo on his FIFA World Player of the Year award, November.

Gallery Champions again

As soon as the final whistle brought United's draw with Arsenal to a close, an army of photographers began snapping away as the newly-crowned Barclays Premier League champions celebrated.

Club photographers John and Matt Peters were among those capturing the moment at Old Trafford as Sir Alex Ferguson and his triumphant players toasted title number 18.

As you could see live on MUTV and MUTV Online, the Reds could hardly wait to get the party started. Another party, the Player of the Year Awards, will also be shown live on the club's official television channel and online video service from 19:30 BST on Sunday.

Anderson

Fabio